How to Access a Hard Drive Remotely

As computers become more a part of everyday business and home life, the likelihood that you will have multiple PCs continues to increase. If you have a computer at home that you need to access from a different location for some reason, you can install a remote access software program on the machine. Once the remote access software is installed, you can access the computer's hard drive from any other computer that has an Internet connection.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Remote computer access software

1. Open up a web browser on the computer that you want to access remotely from a different location. Navigate to a website that offers a remote access software program such as "GoToMyPC" at gotomypc.com/en_US/entry.tmpl or "Log Me In" at secure.logmein.com/home.asp?lang=en. Access the sign-up section of the website.

2. Enter in the user name, password and email address that you want to use to connect to the computer remotely and then click on "Next." Click on the download link and then click on "Save File" when the web browser brings up a prompt asking what action you want to take.

3. Close the web browser and then open the installation file once it finishes downloading. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the remote access software on the computer's hard drive.

4. 
    
   The "My Computers" link

   Leave the computer powered on and do not turn off its Internet connection. Go to the other computer that you want to use to remotely access the original computer's hard drive. Return to the "GoToMyPC" or "Log Me In" website. Click on the "My Computers" link at the left side of the web page. Type in the email address, user name,and password that you selected earlier.

5. 
    
   Using GoToMyPC

   Click on the link for the computer you want to remotely access. Wait for a second window to pop up that will load the Citrix server you will use to access the computer's hard drive. Navigate your mouse inside the new window, which will show the original computer's desktop. Access the various files on the computer's hard drive just as you would if you were actually physically in front of the computer.

Tips & Warnings

• The computer that you install the software on and the computer you use to access the original hard drive remotely must both have Java installed and enabled in their web browsers.
• Make sure to select a password you can remember but that anyone else could not easily guess. If anyone finds out the password, they will be able to remotely access the computer's hard drive anytime they want. Do not turn the original computer off, or the remote access software will not be able to locate and interact with the machine.

References

• Using GoToMyPC
• Using LogMeIn

Resources

• Download GoToMyPC
• Download LogMeIn